New wineries, tasting rooms open in Napa Valley

1of7Samantha Sheehan, owner of Poe Wines, with a fellow winemaker, in Outland tasting room in downtown Napa.Photo: Peter Prato, Special to The Chronicle

2of7Samantha Sheehan, owner of Poe Wines, with a fellow winemaker, in Outland tasting room in downtown Napa.Photo: Peter Prato, Special to The Chronicle

3of7RUTHERFORD, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: A worker at St. Supery winery pours a glass of wine for a tasting September 20, 2006 in Rutherford, California. Wineries in the Napa Valley region are in the midst of harvesting their 2006 crop and will pick and crush grapes until about mid-October. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

4of7A woman participates in a wine tasting at the St. Supery Winery in Rutherford.Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

5of7A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon rests on a table at Ashes & Diamonds in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017.Photo: Noah Berger, Special to The Chronicle

6of7Winemaker Steve Matthiasson pours a glass of wine at Ashes & Diamonds in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017.Photo: Noah Berger, Special to The Chronicle

Napa Valley wine’s history dates back about 160 years when fur trapper George C. Yount decided to first plant grapes. According to the Napa Valley Historical Society, he was awarded one of Mexico’s first land grants in Northern California — 11,814 acres stretching across central Napa Valley.

If the name of the wine and food haven Yountville rings a bell, that’s because it was named after Yount after his death. As the first permanent Euro American settler in Napa Valley, he decided to plant grapes and forever changed Napa into the Wine Country it is now. Before then, the valley had been agricultural, growing primarily prunes and walnuts.

Now, more than 45,000 acres of vines are planted in Napa County, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The $50 billion industry is home to about 475 physical wineries and more than 1,000 wine labels.

That makes it difficult to break into the industry without a lofty lineage and some serious capital. Prices for vineyard land in Napa Valley are rising steeply: In 2017, E. & J. Gallo, a $4.7 billion winery and one of America’s largest private companies, according to Forbes, bought the high-profile Stagecoach Vineyard, in Napa’s Atlas Peak area, for $180 million — nearly $140,000 per acre.

But the steep prices haven’t stopped newcomers from trying to break in. In the past couple of years, some new tasting rooms have surfaced, and many classic Napa wineries keep innovating on the definition of Napa Valley’s wine scene, improving its sometimes-uptight reputation. Here are some of the more interesting tasting rooms and ways to get around in Wine Country.

From former music producer Kashy Khaledi — whose father, Darioush Khaledi, owns Darioush Winery — is a winery that’s trying to accomplish many things. For one, it’s trying to fight an old-school Napa wine scene with a 1960s L.A. vibe. It also tempts Millennials to spend their dollars with a winery-as-a-concept-album theme and a sometimes confusing anti-Napa mystique. Tasting options range from $35 to 150. 430 Howard Lane, Napa; (707) 666-4777; read The Press review here.

RiverHouse by Bespoke Collection

Pair wines with a bento box lunch from Morimoto Napa ($105 per person). RiverHouse, which opened just over a year ago, is a shared tasting room for several brands, including Blackbird Vineyards, Recuerdo and Resolute. Three other tasting experiences are offered. Walk-ins welcome, but reservations are strongly encouraged. 604 Main St., Napa; (707)252-4440; www.bespokecollection.com/riverhouse.

Silver Trident Winery

If you like Ralph Lauren and blends, this is your spot. You’ll feel like you stepped into a catalog that just happens to serve wine, and that’s because it’s entirely furnished with Ralph Lauren Home. Wondering about the name? Silver Trident was spawned from the mind of its co-founder, Bob Binder, who also founded the luxury cruise line Oceania Cruises. Tastings offer four wines for $30. 6495 Washington St., Yountville; (707) 945-0311; www.silvertridentwinery.com

Far Niente

Far Niente recently added two new private tasting options, including an extremely limited private cave collection tasting. Far Niente is no new kid on the Napa block. Founded in 1885, this is one of those fairy-cottage tasting rooms that is always inviting. 1350 Acacia Drive, Napa; (707) 944-2861; read The Press review, click here.

St. Supéry

This winery started in Algeria when Robert Elie-Skalli began making wine in the North African country in 1920. His grandson later opened an estate in the south of France and was inspired by New World wines on a visit to Napa, which would later become the winery’s U.S. birthplace. In 2015, luxury fashion label Chanel bought the winery, and it continues to operate as an estate property. Arrange a visit to the upstairs gallery, which rotates its artwork four times a year. Stephen Coyle paintings will be featured through April, and after after that, the gallery will celebrate the art of the barrel. 8440 St. Helena Hwy.; (707) 302-3448; read The Press review here.

Outland

Outland is home to three different producers. It’s all bright, white minimalist space with wines that vary from classic Napa to contemporary and nuanced. Outland opened late in 2016 as a shared tasting room for Poe, Farella and Forlorn Hope.

Urmila Ramakrishnan joined the San Francisco Chronicle in 2017 as its editorial producer for the California Wine Country guide The Press. Currently, she's the Features Producer overseeing the digital success of The Press, Style, Food and Travel sections. Previously, she was the content producer for a culinary educational startup. Before that, Ramakrishnan co-founded her own food and travel magazine. She was also a freelance food and drink writer for Time Out New York, Thrillist and the Edible magazine franchise. Ramakrishnan has a master’s degree in food culture and communications from the Italy-based University of Gastronomic Sciences and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota.